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Poker Player Bluffs Off Entire Stack with Six-High Early in WSOP Main Event
Patrick Lander's audacious six-high bluff on Day 1d of the WSOP Main Event ended swiftly, marking the fourth consecutive day of early, dramatic eliminations.
TL;DR
In an astonishing early exit from the 2026 WSOP Main Event, Patrick Lander bluffed off his entire stack with just six-high, becoming the first elimination of Day 1d. This bold move occurred less than 30 minutes into play, following a series of aggressive bets against an opponent holding a flopped set.
The 2026 World Series of Poker Main Event continues to deliver early drama, with Day 1d witnessing yet another swift and stunning elimination. For the fourth consecutive day, a player exited the tournament within the first hour of play, deep-stacked with 300 big blinds. But unlike the previous days, where players fell victim to coolers or strong holdings, Day 1d's first casualty, Patrick Lander, bluffed his entire stack away with a mere six-high.
Sunday's Day 1d kicked off at 11 a.m. PT, with UFC star "Suga" Sean O'Malley initiating the "shuffle up and deal" for a field exceeding 2,700 hopefuls. Among them was Lander, whose Main Event dream lasted less than 30 minutes, culminating in a spectacular, albeit ill-fated, bluff with unsuited 6x 5x.
The preceding Day 1 eliminations had their own memorable—and painful—narratives. Day 1a saw a player commit their stack with ace-king, only to run into pocket aces. Day 1b featured a brutal runner-runner bad beat against aces after a flopped set. Day 1c's early departure came after a river bet, where a player's straight was outdone by pocket aces that had improved to a full house.
Lander's exit, however, stood apart. He wasn't holding a monster, nor was he the victim of an improbable suck-out. His downfall was a calculated, yet ultimately disastrous, attempt at deception. The hand began with Nicolas Vayssieres opening to 500 from under the gun. Bryan Buonocore, holding pocket eights (8x 8x) in the small blind, made the call. Lander then opted for a three-bet to 1,500, a move both Vayssieres and Buonocore called.
The flop revealed 9x 8x 4x, giving Buonocore a well-disguised set of eights. Action checked to Lander, who, despite holding only a gutshot straight draw, fired a continuation bet of 2,000. Both opponents remained in the hand, setting the stage for the turn card, which brought the Ax.
Buonocore shrewdly checked his set once more. Lander, undeterred, continued his semi-bluff with another bet of 2,000, prompting Vayssieres to fold. Buonocore, however, wasn't going anywhere and check-raised to 7,000. This raise, surprisingly, wasn't enough to dissuade Lander, who still believed his gutshot had equity or that he could push his opponent off the hand.
The river card, the Kx, changed nothing, improving neither player's hand. Buonocore led out for 12,000. At this point, whether it was a profound misreading of the situation or a sheer desire to go big or go home, Lander moved all-in for approximately 45,000. Buonocore, after a brief tank, made the call, securing a full double-up and sending Lander to the rail as the first player eliminated from Day 1d.
Lander's bold, six-high bluff will undoubtedly be a talking point in the early stages of the Main Event. While it didn't pay off this time, his willingness to "go down swinging" certainly added to the tournament's burgeoning collection of memorable, albeit short-lived, performances. The 2026 WSOP Main Event continues to unfold, promising more thrilling poker action and, quite possibly, more unexpected early exits.
